Holy Meal

THOUGHTS ON THE HOLY MEAL
Rhoderick D. Ice

Things are done which splinter the church, and then 'doctrine' is cited to justify what has taken place. Certainly we must maintain purity, but often it is really style which we intend to safeguard. Those First Century churches were united in worship, yet certainly "Jewish" and "Gentile" didn't look the same in matters of style and expression. But they were in essence doing the same thing. It was their purpose to be led by The Spirit to worship Him in truth.
For example: Once upon a time in a northern city, there were two Churches: one mostly "white," the other mostly "black." Since they were in "fellowship," they often did things together. One day someone asked: "Why are we not one church, rather than two?" The leaders got together and talked over this matter. A day was set; the time came; they - the church - met together to worship as one group. The preacher was "white." Most of the elders were "black." The "members" were equally "white" and "black." When they sang, the songs took on the character of the one who was leading the singing: sometimes "white," and sometimes "black." The prayers sounded "different" depending upon who led the prayer. The Lord's Supper meditations sounded "different." Everything was "scriptural," yet the "style" was varied. But the church said: "We are one. We praise the same Lord. We celebrate our 'different-ness.' We are each brothers and sisters in the Lord's Family." And peace and unity prevailed.

Let's think about this by looking at the Lord's Supper. Jesus certainly instituted a "Supper" rather than a pattern. We eat this Holy Meal in memory of Him, without regard to all the minute details and accidental happenings that might be considered. On Pentecost, some 3,000 were baptized into Christ. The Jerusalem Church quickly grew to some one hundred thousand members. They continued to meet as a group in the Temple. How did they structure the Lord's Supper??? We are not told, although we are certain they did eat this Holy Meal. It would always be their intention to praise and honor Jesus. One brother who makes an issue over the "container" is convinced the Jerusalem Church met in small "house-groups" and perhaps ate the Supper in the context of a Passover-style meal. If they indeed did this, it would be very "Jewish" in flavor.

Robert Milligan wrote, 1859: "We must, therefore, simultaneously eat of the commemoration loaf and of the bread of life; and while we literally drink of the symbolic cup, we must also, at the same time, drink spiritually of that blood, which alone can supply the wants of the thirsty soul. Unless we do this, the bread that we eat can in no sense be to us the body of the Son of God; nor can the wine that we drink be in any sense the blood of the New Covenant, which was shed for the remission of the sins of many." [from the Millenial Harbinger]

"Close-communnion" was never really an issue among the Restoration Churches. From time to time it is resurrected, but so far nothing has come of it. In justifying "open-communion," the "Harbinger" quoted from the "American Christian Review," 1862: "When an unimmersed person communes, without any inviting or excluding, it is his own act, not ours, and we are not responsible for it. We do not see that any harm is done to him or us...We commune with the Lord and His people, and certainly not, in spirit, with any not His people, whether immersed or unimmersed. We take no responsibility in the matter, for we neither invite nor exclude."
"Open-communion" has continued to be the universal practice among the Restoration Churches, including the Non-instrument Churches. Each person chooses to participate in the Supper. "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup."

Jesus took bread & wine from the Passover Meal to memorialize a new thing: "My body which is broken for you." "My blood of the new covenant." He said this prophetically, as His death & resurrection were yet future from this moment of time. We eat this Holy Meal in memory of Jesus and His death, until He comes again.

Some make an issue of the bread and wine to be used in this Holy Meal. Some use matzos - the Jewish unleavened bread available in any supermarket. Others wish to cut any ties with the Jews and insist upon homemade unleavened bread. The Orthodox Churches go even further and use only leavened bread. The Jews probably used fermented wine. Some use only Welch's grape juice, or something like it. It will be noted that Scripture deliberately uses generic terms for "bread" and "fruit of the vine" in describing the Supper. While there is a term for unleavened bread [azumos], the generic "bread" [artos] is always used of the Supper. It would be possible to reproduce the exact form, texture, and chemical constitution of the Passover Meal celebrated by Jesus and His disciples. [Organically grown grain, ground by hand, baked in thin flat sheets on hot rocks. Wine produced from grapes trod upon by human feet.] But the use of generic words seem to indicate this would be unnecessary.

Here are some examples from history. Each intended to eat the bread and drink the fruit of the vine in honor and memory of Jesus. Note the style as each acts out the Supper of the Lord.

Place: Bethany, (W) VA. Time: Sunday morning, some years before the War Between The States. Alexander Campbell is presiding at the Table, assisted by his father, Thomas. On the Table are the customary loaf of [raised] bread, baked by one of the sisters; and two chalices containing the cup of fruit of the vine [fermented], also produced by a sister.
Campbell read: "Then, taking a cup, he gave thanks, and said, Take this, and share it amongst you; for I assure you, that I will not again drink of the product of the vine, until the Reign of God be come." [Luke 22:17-18 Living Oracles Version]
Thomas Campbell, the father, then worded a prayer of thanks and blessing for the bread and fruit of the vine.
Then the congregation came forward, two by two. Both Alexander and Thomas broke off a piece of the bread, dipped it in the fruit of the vine, and put it in the mouth of the brother or sister. It was their intention to commune in the body and blood of the Lord. They have done what the Lord said to do.

Place: TV studio. Time: 1992. A group of ten brothers and sisters are met to eat the Supper as the worship is broadcast. A brother took the wafer of bread [unleavened] and crushed it into crumbs, dropped it into the chalice containing "the cup of fruit of the vine," and stirred it with a silver spoon. A prayer was said. The congregation came one by one. He dipped a spoonful of the bread/wine mixture, and dropped it into the mouth of the worshiper, without touching that person's lips. It was their intention to commune in the body and blood of the Lord.

Place: First Church of Christ. Time: 1949. The deacons first circulated among the congregation, giving each who wished to eat this Holy Meal a wafer of bread [unleavened] plus an individual cup of fruit of the vine [grape juice]. Each held these, waiting in expectation.
An elder stepped to the Table, read from 1 Corinthians 11, and called on another elder to word the prayer. Then, holding up his individual piece of bread, he spoke: "Take, eat, this is My body." Each simultaneously ate his/her piece of bread. Then the elder held up his individual cup of wine, and spoke: "This cup is the new covenant in My blood." Each simultaneously drank his/her cup of fruit of the vine. It was their intent to commune in the body and blood of the Lord.

Place: Texas. Time: After WWII. A small group has met to worship the Lord. The bread [unleavened] is a flat, crisp, circle, baked by one of the sisters. The fruit of the vine [fermented] is in a china cup with a handle. A brother read from Scripture. Another brother prayed. The bread was unbroken before it was passed. Each broke off his/her piece to eat it. Another brother prayed. The cup was passed and each drank from the one container. It was their intent to commune in the body and blood of the Lord.

Time: 1996. Place: TV studio. The Preacher begins. "Friends, we have come to gather around the Lord's Table. I want you to know that we preach the Old Fashioned Gospel. Part of this is that we gather around the Lord's Table on Sunday to eat the unleavened bread and drink the fruit of the vine. Get your unleavened bread and your fruit of the vine. We'll soon be ready to partake. The Lord's Supper is a command. Jesus told His disciples to teach obedience to all that He commanded. Matthew 28:19. And so we are commanded to observe the Lord's Supper."

"You that can't get out to the House of the Lord, you can obey this command right here on television as we eat and drink the Lord's Supper together. Mark 14. 'Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.' Get ready now. Take your unleavened bread. Eat it. This is the Lord's body. Now take your fruit of the vine. As they did when Jesus was there at the Last Supper, when Jesus said, 'This is My blood,' drink the cup. Let us pray. 'We thank You Lord Jesus for Your body and blood. We thank You Father for sending Jesus. Bless each one who has participated in this Lord's Supper with us today. We pray in Jesus' blessed and holy name, Amen. Now we have done what the Lord told us to do. We have eaten and drank at His Table in the Kingdom."

Place: here. Time: last Sunday. We were gathered to worship. The brother who served that day presided at the Table. On it were two circles of crisp bread [on plates], baked by one of the sisters. Also two trays with individual cups [containers] of grape juice. The brother read a few verses of Scripture, then prayed. Two younger brothers, who were assisting this day, passed through the congregation with the bread. Each person broke off his/her piece and ate it. Returning to the Table, each assistant served the bread to the other. The brother prayed a second time. Those assisting took the trays of cups [containers] and passed through the congregation. Each person took a cup and drank it. Returning to the Table, each assistant served a cup to the other. We have done what the Lord said to do. We have celebrated His death and resurrection and coming again. We have recognized His body which was crucified; and we have recognized His One Body of which we are part. We have proclaimed His death until He comes again! It was our intent to commune in the body and blood of the Lord.

We can eat the Supper in a variety of style and do what the Lord has commanded. Why cannot this same tolerance of style be extended to other things? Paul could write to the Romans: "Welcome all the Lord's followers, even those whose faith is weak. Don't criticize them for having beliefs that are different from yours." If Paul could "bless" differences in "food" and "days," perhaps we can "bless" each other in spite of differences. There is certainly a place to do as Paul commanded: "What you believe about these things should be kept between you and God. You are fortunate, if your actions don't make you have doubts."